Lifestyle Influencer Lora McLaughlin Peterson’s Best Budget-Friendly Cooking Tips

What are some of your top strategies for cooking delicious meals without overspending?

Frozen everything: You can save a boatload. Frozen beef could be as much as 50 percent off; same with fish and chicken. Then thaw them as needed. I don’t really have much fresh fruit on hand, aside from oranges and apples. I even freeze bananas. All my berries are frozen.

Another tip: Buy your meat and cut it yourself. You’re paying a butcher to do it, but you can slice that chicken breast into cutlets and save a lot of money.

What are a few ‘budget heroes’ that every home cook should have in their pantry?

First, balsamic glaze. You can drizzle a little bit of balsamic glaze on top of almost anything; it automatically makes it look fancy, and the taste is incredible. And then flaky sea salt. You can buy it by the bucket on Amazon. That is going to last forever. Finally, never underestimate a good olive oil. Buy the best olive oil you can afford. Those little things are going to move the needle on your cooking.

What are some common mistakes people make when trying to cook on a budget?

When people get into recipes that have a lot of ingredients and don’t realize they have to buy six spices they’re never going to use again. It’s better to shop your refrigerator and your spice drawer first. Instead of starting with a recipe, start with what you’ve got. Also, if you stick with what you know you like and start there, it takes a lot of the guesswork out. If you really like ground beef, figure out a couple of greatest hits with the ground beef, and stick with that.

Meal planning is trendy right now. How important is it for saving money?

I don’t love meal planning. I think a better way to shop is my “five, four, three, two, one” method. That is: five vegetables, four proteins, three fruits, two breads or pastas, and then one treat.

The beauty of this hack is that it works whether you are feeding just yourself or an army. You will be shocked at how many meal combinations you can make with this formula, just by picking a variety of your favorite things in the amount you need. I focus on what’s in season, so this never gets old or repetitive. Picking up items with this method allows incredible flexibility, giving you over 200 meal combination possibilities.

Do you have a surprising bargain-hunting tip to share?

Shop on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. People don’t realize this, but grocery stores fluctuate their prices, even depending on the time of day you go. You’re going to pay a lot for something Friday after five o’clock. Wednesday is when a lot of that turnover starts happening, so they might slash some prices to move stuff. And the coupons typically come out on Wednesdays.

What’s one of your favorite shortcuts when you need a quick and easy meal?

The air fryer is a magical little machine — you can do just about anything quickly. I also love to use chicken cutlets. They taste better, and they cook within 12 to 15 minutes. You can sprinkle pesto over them. You can dip them in some old [crumbs]. I’ve done cereal crumbs or crushed-up potato chips. You can put them in Italian breadcrumbs. You can turn it into chicken Parmesan in 12 minutes [in the air fryer]. You can get dinner done really quickly if you’re using the right cuts of meat and the right tools.

What has this experience been like, from starting your social media presence to publishing the book?

I love the line “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” I think it’s just so true. I’m living proof. You’re never too old to get out there and reinvent yourself. I’m super jazzed and grateful to have this happening in this chapter of my life.